Arm propelled swing



Aug. 29, 1933. R. FLETCHER ARM PROPELLED SWING Filed Aug. 17, 1931 INVIZNTOR. FLT-ITCHER 4W A TTORNE.

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 I TE ST T r l I Rolland Fletcher, Des Moines Iowa 1 I. Application August 17, 1931 SerialNo. 551442 r scams. 101.155'45 This inventionlrelates" to improvements in swings and has for its principal object the pro viding of a swing that may bepartly or wholly operated by the arms of the user as distinguished from the usual swinging action produced entirely by the movement of the feet and body of the user.

. A furtherobject of my invention is to provide anarm actuated swing that reduces undesirable friction to a minimum.

.A still further object of this invention is to provide an arm propelled swing that may, be

safely used without danger of accidental damage to the hand or hands of the user.

e A still further object of my invention is toprovide an arm actuated swing that requires only a minimum amount of movement of the arms to propel the swing. r

A=still further object of this invention is to provide an arm propelled swing that is .eco

nomical in manufacture and durable inluse. 7 These and other objects willbeapparent to those skilled in the art My invention consists in theconstruction, ar

rangement and combination of the variousparts .of-the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained ashereinafter more fully set forth, pointed outixrmy claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of my complete swing ready for'use. ,1 f I f l Fig. 2 is a rear end viewof the complete invention secured to a supporting member. f y} Fig. 3 is a side view of a modifiedconstruction of :the invention; v

1 Fig-{4 is-a side sectional view of one of the hand grip members and morefully illustrates its interior construction.

Fig. 5 is atop plan view of one of thejhand grip members and'illustrates the position of the pulley wheel rotatablysecured to thesame.

The outdoor use of'swings by young folks is very old and there is no question as to the fascination -of.its use. However one of its objections from a body and healthbuilding: standpoint is that .thearms of thepuser do'not experience suffi cient exercise. I have overcome such objections by providing an'arm propelled swing that may be installed. either indoors or outdoors. Y

my swing. The seat board of-the device is desig- '-nated by the numeral 11. :Secured to eachjside portion*of this seat 11 isa' supporting. rope or cable 12.

able form.

In the drawing I'have used the numeral 10 to "designate a supporting 'ceilingto. which I secure 'Ihesetwosupporting ropes extend up (wardly in the usual manner and aresecured in any suitable 'way at .theiriupper ends to the ceiling support 10.. .Slidably mounted on. each of the supporting ropes 12 isahand grip member generally designatedby the numeral .13.. These hand grip members may be madefo f any suitable material. such as sheet metal stamped into desir- In Fig. 4 I show such a product havin g a rope engaging member 14in its upper portion anda rope engaing member 15 in its lower portion. f By s providing two; such rope engaging and bearing" members as distinguished from a single bore completely through the handle member, the rope contacting surface is 7 reduced to a minimum. Both of these rope engaging-members have their inner ends rounded in order .to not undulytwear the rope extending through them Itwill also be noted that these engaging and embracing portions I 14 and ;15 taper outwardly at their: outer ends to more successfully guide the rope reciprocating in 5 them when the swing isin use. 'lhisis especially desirable if in thefoperation of the swing the handle members are pulled by the operator at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the supporting ropes :12. The numeral 16 designates ahollow 5Q projectionformed on the upper portion of each of the handles 13. This hollow pro-jectionextendslaterally-from thejlongitudinal axis of the handle member 13 and is openat its top. The numeral 17 designates a pulley wheel-or roller rotatably mounted inside the portion 16. Directlyabove the pulley ;17- is a bar 18, v This bar 18 is a part ofthe portion lfijand divides the open topof the member 16 into two openentrances 1 9 and 20. Thejnumeral 21 designates-anactuating eps or cable embracing the pulley 17in each .of the handle members 13. Each of these rope's-have their two lengths extending upwardly out fof the I portion 16 through the entrance openings lii. 20 respectively. The end of the rope 21 that extends through theopenings 19 progresses .to and is secured by suitable means to I the. ceiling; support 1 as shown-in-Fig. 1'. The points ofsecuring these ends of the rope2l towthe ceiling support are directly inline butfforward ofthe two' points ceiling support respectively.

,.-The portion of eachof th ropes th atgex en s; through the opening: 20 continues upwardly and areeventually. rigidly secured to thebupportin 5' rope 12 adjacentto them, as shown'in 'Figf'2". The

points of attaching theseends 'tothesupporting ropes respectively area substantial distance above v any reci'procation of the handle members 13., no I for . 1 T semym sw passa s 00 Y" .wherethe s pporting ropes1 2 arel seeured to, the w the one sitting in the swing to grasp the two hand grip members 13 and pull downwardly upon the same. This action will naturally shorten the distance between the points where the ropes 21 are secured to the supporting ceiling and the seat 11, thereby moving the seat 11 and its occupant forwardly. By permitting the hand grip members to slide upwardly the seat 11 will be permitted to swing to the rear.

In other words, to use my swing the'members 13 are reciprocated up and down by the use of the arms on the ropes 12. The

amount of swinging action that results will be relative to the distance the members 13 are reciprocated up and down on the ropes 12.

By the use of the pulley wheels 17 and construction shown in Fig. 1, not only will friction be reduced to a minimum, but the length of travel of the handle members 13 will be greatly reduced as distinguished from a construction wherein the ropes 21 would be directly secured to the handle members This feature or features are very important for the reason that agreat length of reciprocation of the handle members 13* would prevent those with short arms from swinging very high,

The invention is exceptionally safe to use, as the pulley wheels 17' and ropes 21 extending around the same are completely shrouded by the portion 16 which acts as a housing shield. Also,

toprevent youngsters from reaching above the handles and receiving pinched fingers by the,

handle members and. ropes 12 sliding there-i through, I have providedaperipheral flange 22 at the top of each of the handle grip members.

a To. provide a comparatively slow swing-for small children,but one wherein great leverage is obtained, I recommend the construction shownin Fig. 3. In Fig. 3 the end of the ropes 21 are not secured to the supporting ropes, but extend around members.

a bracketed pulley wheel 23 and then downwardly where they are secured directly to the handle grip'members. These pulley wheels 23' are rigidlyv secured to the supporting ropes 12 at points near where the ropes 21 are normally'secured to the supporting ropes 12. I

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that'I have provided a swing that will exercise all parts of the body including the arms and onethat provides short reciprocation of its handle grip Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of -myimproved arm pro pelled swing without departing from the real spirit and" purpose of myinventiomand it is my intention tocover by myclaims any modifled forms of structure or use of mechanical v equivalents which may bereasonably included within theirscope.

I claim: V V

1 In a device of the class described, a seat member, a flexible elongated'member designed to have its upper end secured to a supporting member and its lower endsecured to said seat member, a second flexible elongated member designedto have'itsupper end secured to the supporting member at a distance'from said first-mentioned Jflexible elongated member andits' lower end se- 7 cured to said seat member, a hollow hand grip *memberslidably embracing said firstmentioned flexible elongated" member, a roller secured. to sai'd'hand grip membeig'a hollow hand grip member slidably embracingsaidsecond flexible elongated membena roller secured to said last-men-.

tioned hand grip member, an elongated flexible member engaging'the roller on said first-mentionedhand grip member securedzat one of its ends to said first-mentioned flexible member at a point a substantial distance above said hand grip member andits other end designed to be secured to the supporting member at a point in advance of the point where said first-mentioned flexible elongated member is secured to the supporting member, and an elongated flexible member engaging the roller secured to said hand grip member on said second-mentioned flexible elonsigned to have its upper end secured to the sup- 7 porting member at a distance" from said first mentioned flexible elongated member and its lower end secured to said seat member, a hand grip member slidably embracing said first mentioned flexible elongated member having a shield housing, a roller rotatably'secured in said shield housing, a hand grip member slidably embracing said second flexible elongated member hav. ing a shield housing, a roller rotatably secured in saidlast mentioned shield housing, an elongatedflexible member engaging the roller in said first mentioned shield housing secured at one of its ends to said first mentioned flexible member at a point a substantial distance above said hand grip member and its other enddesigned to be secured to the supporting member at'a point in j advance. of the'point where said first mentioned flexible elongated member is secured to thesupporting member, and an elongated flexible 'mem ber engaging the roller in said secondmentioned shield housing having one end secured to ,said,

second flexible elongated member at a point a substantial distance above said hand grip mem-' j ber thereonand its other end designed to be secured to the supporting member at a point in advance of the point where the said second mentioned flexible elongated member is secured to the supporting member.

3; In a device of theclass described, a seat member, aflexible elongated member designed to have its upper end secured to a supporting member and its lower end secured to said seat member, a second flexible elongated memberdesigned to have its upperend secured to the supporting member at a distance from said' first mentioned flexible elongated member and its lower end secured to said seat member,a hand grip member slidably embracing said first mentioned flexible elongated member including a hand protective peripheral flange, aroller secured to said hand grip member, a hand grip,

'rnember slidably embracingsaid second flexible member including a'han'd'protective peripheral flange, a roller secured to said last mentioned hand grip member, an elongated flexible member engaging the roller on said' first mentioned hand grip member secured at one of its ends to said first mentioned flexible member at a point :a substantial distance above said hand grip member thereon and its other end designed .to be 7 secured to thesupporting member at a point inadvance of the point where said flrstmentioned flexible elongated member is secured'to the supporting member, and an elongatedflexible member engaging the roller secured to said hand grip member on said second mentioned flexible elongated member having one end secured to said second flexible member at a point a substantial distance abovesaid hand grip member thereon and its other end designed to be secured to the supporting member at a point in advance of the point where said second-mentioned flexible elongated member is secured to the supporting member. V r

4. In a device of the class described, a seat member, a flexible elongated member designed tohave its upper end secured to a supportingmemher and its lower end secured to said seat mem-.

her, a second flexible elongated member designed to have its upper end secured to the supporting m'emberat a distance from said first mentioned flexible elongated member and its lower end secured to said seat member, a hollow hand grip member includingtwo bearing members having tapered openings and slidably embracing said first mentioned flexible elongated member; a

roller secured to said hand grip member, a 1101 low hand grip member including two bearing members having tapered openings and slidably embracing said second jmentioned flexible elongated member, a roller secured to said lastmem tioned hand grip member, an elongated flexible member engaging the roller on said first men-' tioned hand grip member secured at one of its,

ends to said first mentioned flexible member at a point a substantial distance above said hand grip member thereon and its other end designed to be secured to the supporting member at a point in advance of the point where said first mentioned flexible elongated member is secured to the supporting member, and an elongated flexible member engaging the roller secured tosaid thereon andits other end designed to be secured porting member.

l hand grip member on said second mentioned flexible elongated member having one end secured to said second flexible member at a .pointa substantial distance above said hand grip member to the supporting member [at a point in advance of the point where said second mentioned flexible elongated member is secured'to the sup 5. "In a device of the class described, a seat 'member, a rope designed to have its upper end secured to a supporting member and its lower end secured to said seat member, a second rope designed to have its upper end secured to the supporting member at a distance from said fl1St-,, mentioned rope and its lower end secured to said seat member, a hand grip member slidably, embracing said first-mentioned r0p'e,a rope-en-j gaging member on said hand-grip member, a hand grip member slidably embracing said second rope, a rope-engaging member on'saidlast-Q mentioned hand grip member, a rope slidably engaging said rope-engaging member on said first-mentioned hand 'gripmember secured at one of its ends to said first-mentioned rope at a point a substantial distance above said hand. grip member thereon and its other end designed to be secured to the supporting member at a 

